225€/300$ (checked with a local Sonor dealer) for a single pedal that has NO separate beater angle and footboard angle adjustability? That's waaaaay over the top. I'd like to have that smooth, no friction footboard though...

Great: one post construction on the left side, smooth footboard, nice design

Bad: folding mechanism (unnecessary and probably expensive, though it's cool and practical to some degree), mechanism for attaching to a drum hoop (should be much simpler and safer), durability is questionable

Ugly: no separate footboard angle and beater angle adjustability, beater shaft makes dents in a drumhead even when it's in its highest position, price

If anyone has ever listened to Jojo in interviews, it's very obvious that he's very deliberate about what he does. He's a guy who searches for exactly what he wants and if he can't find it, he looks to his companies to help him develop these things. Case in point, the Omni cymbal. It is a cymbal that does exactly what Jojo was looking for. It's a ride in every way and it's a crash in every way. The ride is a bit dry without being as dry as the Fierce Ride and has a very strong bell, the crash is as bright as an 18" or 19" while the cymbal itself is 21" the ride can be laid into with the wash of the crash being totally controlled and never gets in the way. The crash speaks quickly and decays quickly to get out of the way of the ride. No, this isn't a thread about the Omni, but my point is that all of these things were what Jojo was looking for in a cymbal and he couldn't find it, so he had it made. If Jojo really could have found exactly what he was looking for in a pedal that was already made, he wouldn't have designed this one. Sonor didn't approach him to design a pedal, he approached them because he had very specific design ideas that would give him the pedal he wanted. That's what any of these guys who have signature stuff do. Dave Weckl and the Sabian Evolution series, Vinnie and the A Customs. Don't' dismiss this pedal and all of the information as marketing BS when it's clear that anything signature was the brainchild of an artist who was searching for something that they couldn't get any other way. Marketing has to happen in order to make profits off of something mass produced, but, in any situation where an artist has teamed up with their company to create something, it's not BS. Those infomercials that make ordinary items out to be inconvenient, like the metal wallet commercials that depict a normal wallet as the worst thing in life just so they can make their product look better, that's marketing BS.

...in any situation where an artist has teamed up with their company to create something, it's not BS. Those infomercials that make ordinary items out to be inconvenient, like the metal wallet commercials that depict a normal wallet as the worst thing in life just so they can make their product look better, that's marketing BS.

The reality is the market will decide the fate of the JoJo pedal. If it doesn't sell, then SONOR will have to resign itself to using marketing BS like the infomercials.

I wouldn't sell the designers at SONOR (or any drum co) short when it comes to being artists.

Most drum gear is designed with input from a group/variety of performers. IMO its the best way to come up with the best product. Relying on one person's input makes the product too personal/specialized and limits sales. The price has to be jacked-up to cover the difference.

I doubt the PERFECT BALANCE pedal will outsell TAMAS IRON COBRA (pick any model) for instance, which is an example of a product designed with input from many artists, not just one specific artist.

The JoJo pedal has many things I find interesting, and I want to try one out.
Although, I pulled out my old Camco, and it feels better than all my other pedals and I started using it again after almost 20 years!
It's about the least "advanced" pedal out there that isn't a "budget" pedal (a new one is only $129 with a bag, and free ship all over the net).

Round cam, no real "resistance" to my foot, yet still feels solid. Very smooth, "speed of return" same as going forward....
Lots of stuff JoJo was talking about in his video on the new pedal.

I picked up another Camco on eBay for $33, so I'll have my usual "backup" on gigs.

The JoJo pedal has many things I find interesting, and I want to try one out.
Although, I pulled out my old Camco, and it feels better than all my other pedals and I started using it again after almost 20 years!
It's about the least "advanced" pedal out there that isn't a "budget" pedal (a new one is only $129 with a bag, and free ship all over the net).

Round cam, no real "resistance" to my foot, yet still feels solid. Very smooth, "speed of return" same as going forward....
Lots of stuff JoJo was talking about in his video on the new pedal.

I picked up another Camco on eBay for $33, so I'll have my usual "backup" on gigs.

I'm very curious too. I have a liking of 'old-style' pedals and by that I mean pedals with a light feel, a relatively light build and a simple action without too many complex parts. I like the hoop attachment idea although I could do without that.

Just yesterday I pulled apart my old Pearl P-100 double and converted the slave into a single. I've played a DW5000 for years but sometimes try out my other pedals for the sake of practice and to not get too reliant on the action of one pedal, even though they're all set up much the same. I then went and ordered some straps to convert the pedal into a strap drive.

One of my biggest selling regrets was selling my old P-100 single. That was a great, great pedal and criminally underrated. I wish they still made it because I'd go and buy another one. It was simple, light, reliable, had a good action and was very easy to maintain. I like my DW5000 a lot but it's a little heavy.

I just saw this video tonight and like others here, I'm intrigued. That catapult feeling Jojo talks about is true - but I don't think I know what it's like to feel otherwise. That catapult feeling helps me in my groove for the music. I'm wondering what it would be like to have something that basically doesn't get in the way of translating what your foot wants to the bass drum.

I just went back to a strap pedal (Iron Cobra) and it does feel different from the chain, and I know for sure there is a catapult type of feeling to it. I may have to try the Jojo pedal, $250 is about average (hell, Tama is charging $200 for a single Iron Cobra these days, and the Trick I think is still over-priced - and the venerable DW9000 is almost $300). I'm surprised Sonor isn't charging more, they certainly could, and people would still buy it. Maybe I'll pre-order one. I'll take any help I can get, even if all I do is 1 & 3 on the bass drum, and 2 & 4 on the snare drum :)

I'm really interested in trying this pedal out: if it does what is says it does, it will be the perfect pedal for me.

Though I might put the Trick Pro V-1 beater on it, for the sake of "feel" when on another drum.

And I will admit, the hoop attachment mechanism here does have me concerned... I may end up being the guy that props up the pedal BEFORE attaching to a drum and just tighten the clamp, like I would any other pedal.

I've had the pedal for two weeks. It took some time to get use to it coming from a Speed King but its well worth it. This is a quality built pedal. I think the best way to describe what it feels like to play a pedal without the catapult feel is that it feels like your playing with no pedal. Again, I'm still getting use to it but every now and then when I'm deep in the pocket I forget I'm using a pedal, it just feels like the foot and the pedal are one. Very cool in my opinion. I do think the stem may be short for a 26 kick, I'll know when my new kit comes in next month. For now some photos.

I just bought the pedal today. I love it. It feels better than any other pedal I've tried for heel down playing and heel down doubles. I have not tried it yet with my rock playing....but even if it only works for my jazz playing, it was well worth buying, because it is the smoothest feeling pedal I've ever played. You can read more in my review here:

My experience is that it does work in a rock and roll environment. By rock and roll I mean the classic stuff, Zeppelin, Who, Stones etc (my favorite cover tunes). I did find it took a few weeks to get use to the feel but as I adjusted to the pedal the pedal seemed to help me with my technique. Now I find I can feather the bass drum as well as lay into some Bonham style triplets with equal ease. At times when I'm deep in the pocket it feels like there is no pedal. Strange but I love it.

Thanks, I sold the Sonor kit though, I needed to try something different. Now I'm getting ready to take delivery on a new Mapex MyDentity kit, I'm going to combine that with a set of Paiste 2002's. Big maple shells and Paiste's, it should be a fun journey.

I bought a PB pedal as soon as they came out, absolutely love it. I just sold my Trick Pro 1V because ai like the PB pedal so much more. I love the strap drive feel, I like the balanced action of this pedal. i hated the way the Trick pedal tightened up as your beater got closer to the head. The footboard is great on the PB pedal and I like the single post design especially for when I am using a swivel technique to play. I can play heel down or heel up on this pedal, heel toe technique . I have used thispedal for jazz and Rock gigs and it works perfectly. You can play delicately and you can slam it and everything in between. I am planning on buying a second one soon for my practice kit.

TRICK could easily throw an extension spring on their PRO V frames and rule the world so to speak, they should consider it. They're that far away from capturing a big market.

They already have the cool mounting system, a smooth foot board, the pedal is way adjustable. They could employ a rocker bearing on the bottom of the spring TRICK style, an adjustable cam on top of the spring etc.etc. The bases are loaded for them, they just gotta put the thing in play.

Keep the compression spring model available, give the people a choice... the American way.

Got mine 3 days ago. Bought it right after Jojo's clinic at my music dealer. I simply had to had that pedal, plus they had a nice offer that night. Still getting used to it, have moderately tightened the spring tension but it still feels buttery to play.

Had my copy of Jojo's DVD signed. Also got that promo CD-ROM (those snippets explaining the pedal features, plus a few performances and exercises).

This is my first exposure to the pedal. The issue of a round cam is not what makes it linear. Where the axle goes through the cam is what defines the throw. Hence 'concentric' which places the axle in the middle of the cam so it rotates the same all the way through its movement, or 'accentric' which places the axle off-center in some way which accentuates the throw in some way - beginning, middle, end of stroke. It's about cam rotation, not cam shape.

That being the case there are and have been a number of pedals on the market which offer concentric movement.

One thing many players notice about chains and straps versus solid link: if you dance on your pedal the strap or chain can 'kink' slightly between strokes, from the springs pulling everything back into place. There can be considerable play in the strap/chain systems.

In seeing this is a spring driven system it is basically what all other pedals offer. Things are pulled back into place. Save for a Speed King and Trick which have springs pushing back. I have come to really loathe fighting expansion spring pedals. Some are better than others, but they all have the character of fighting you, especially if you tension the spring tightly.

I have come to love my Drumnetics so much everything else I own, while nice pedals, just cannot compare to magnet propulsion. Especially is that the case with magnets on the axle, as well as under the footboard. The thing, literally, almost plays itself.

Jo Jo talks about being one with the pedal. Concentric designs always have that feel. I have always preferred that.

Seeing this thread began a while ago it seems the PB has not caught on as Sonor hoped.

I do believe the clamping design has been misunderstood by some. It is an initial process which takes a little longer, but once you set it, it is off and on with just a couple twists of the tension knob.

I'm not sure a collapsing pedal is an important feature, save for someone loading a small set into a compact car.

Jojo mentioned he has tried every pedal out there in 20 years. I know he hasn't tried the new Drumnetics, and probably not previous versions, either. It is a true brain/foot marriage for me. I think it, I play it. Never put my foot on anything like the new version.

One thing many players notice about chains and straps versus solid link: if you dance on your pedal the strap or chain can 'kink' slightly between strokes, from the springs pulling everything back into place. There can be considerable play in the strap/chain systems.

Makes no sense at all.

..."springs pulling 'everything' back into place". So this would exclude the foot board?

Hardly, the foot board cannot move upward without the strap/chain being taut.

The only way you could get your chain/strap pedal to 'kink' is by lifting the foot board from beneath while the beater is moving forward and who plays like that???

Its not possible.

Here's a mentally plausible explanation- The beater reaches its maximum backstroke angle and the foot board continues upward due to inertia causing slack in the chain/strap... your foot nowhere in sight b/c its 'dancing' on the pedal(s). Not reality.

I think it just goes to show once again...that ANY company can have QC issues especially when introducing a new product.Granted product testing is done,but that same testing is not done on actual real world mass manufacturing.

When you produce that many products,Murphys law will always be in effect.There isn't a manufacturer on the planet,that dosen't have some slip through the crack issues on occasion,and I defy anyone to demonstrate to the contrary.

Sonor is a great drum company that has been making quality product for a very long time.They also have excellent customer service,and listen to consumer critisism.The'll work out the kinks.But don't expact 100%.

Perfection does not exist.How can it?No matter what we make,we're imperfect beings,and therefore by default,will always make products that are less that perfect.")

I think it just goes to show once again...that ANY company can have QC issues especially when introducing a new product.

Yup, and SONOR'S got em with this pedal.

This pedal has a lot of moving parts, the heel hinge being a major one (on any pedal), haven't seen such a fail since DW's 5000 first generation heel plate hinge. They're literally going out the door with slop/play and stiffness... Da soll mal einer mitkommen!

I got mine a couple months ago and after gigging heavy with it since my technique has definitely improved. The trouble now is, I've become a little dependent on the damn thing! I left it behind at a gig last week and had to go back to my Pearl 2000c for the night and Oh boy were my triple strokes nasty as hell!

This pedal is silky smooth and feels like there is zero resistance to your foot movement. It plays as fast as you can tap your toes. Therefore, you can very effectively practice your bass drum technique any time, any place by playing rudiments with just your feet tapping the floor.

The ironic thing about this pedal is you are basically paying a lot of money for very little technology. Its like those super light Porsche Carrera GT3's, they strip everything out of the car to make it light enough to perform at outrageous levels of speed, but charge way more than the "luxury" models with all the technology and driver aids.

Bottom line, this is a pedal for serious players interested in the finer details of drumming, not intended for thumpers. I expect this pedal won't be seen behind many "monster" kits!

A little update on mine: because I've encountered drums that I had to use that were equipped with metal bass drum hoops, I've had to use a different kick pedal from time to time... I've actually cannibalized an old model of the Gibraltar Intruder pedal and a Pearl Eliminator powershifter pedal to create a pedal with the best of both worlds. This pedal, I've been able to dial in a feel that comes VERY close to the Perfect Balance, but not quite... it is now my back-up pedal for gigs, should the PB fail (which it hasn't), or I end up using a kit that had metal hoops on the kick.

As for my Perfect Balance, while I still have the original beater it comes with, I've decided to switch it out for a Pearl quad beater for the time being, so I can use a harder plastic surface to clearly hear my articulation better.

This is clearly the best pedal I've ever used.
It showed up in the mail and I had about 20 minutes of messing with it before a gig and it felt perfect.
I was using an iron cobra rolling glide for a few years, but went back to my Sonor Phonic pedal that I've used for a good 25. The phonic pedal, after a few fixes worked well, but eventually the frame bent from use.
The Jojo pedal picked right up like I used it for years, except it feels more creative and spontaneous. I like it a lot and I can get a lot of power from it too.